The success story of Gulpener BrouwLokaal
“I was determined to bring Recras with me; now it’s the core of all our activities.”
Located in the stunning hills of South Limburg, Gulpener BrouwLokaal offers the perfect space for any occasion. Visitors come here to truly experience the flavor and brand story, whether during a beer tasting, a guided tour, or a business meeting. To ensure all these diverse activities run seamlessly, the BrouwLokaal has been working with Recras since 2018. Together, Marianne and Isabelle manage the entire system. While Isabelle is responsible for all visitor communication and the website, Marianne works behind the scenes to ensure all processes are perfectly configured.
Local to Limburg, software from Groningen
Gulpener is a true family business with a crystal-clear philosophy: unfiltered and real. They chart their own course with a sharp focus on sourcing everything locally whenever possible. From water drawn from their own springs to barley and hops from nearby farmers, the power of the Limburg landscape forms the foundation of every glass of beer. In fact, almost nothing crosses Gulpener’s threshold that isn’t sourced from the region, but they made a rare exception for Recras software. “I had already worked with Recras in my previous role. When I started here, I said: That’s fine, but I definitely want to bring Recras with me,” Marianne explains enthusiastically. “That’s how we got started with it, and we’ve been very happy with the results from the very beginning.”
More than just selling tickets
From daily activities to major events: everything is managed through Recras. Even the reception of our hospitality partners, who visit every two years, is organized within the system. The same applies to the microbrewery, where people come to brew their own beer. “The great thing about Recras is its versatility; it’s about much more than just selling tickets,” says Isabelle. “For instance, when booking a tour, a table can be reserved immediately in our eatery or beer garden. We have so many different applications for it within our company.”
Flexibility is essential
Within the BrouwLokaal, Recras forms the foundation for daily operations, from online bookings to full back-office management. There is a conscious choice for a personal approach with a high degree of customization. Since different activities often take place in the same spaces, flexibility in scheduling is vital. The long-term goal is to fully integrate staff scheduling into Recras as well. “In that regard, our business is quite complex with fixed shifts that involve a lot of shuffling, so setting that up correctly takes time,” they note realistically. “But once that is in place, you truly have everything in one system, which is simply the ideal setup.”
Constantly evolving
Gulpener sees the system constantly evolving alongside their daily operations. “Features we’ve flagged as ‘nice to have’ have simply been added over the years,” says the team at the BrouwLokaal. Tasks that used to be time-consuming, such as updating invoice references or migrating bookings, have now become quick, simple actions. The ability to process refunds directly within the system has also significantly boosted efficiency. “Processing refunds is a huge win for us,” says Isabelle. “Now I can handle it myself immediately, whereas before I had to leave a note for Marianne. It really makes a difference in our daily workload.” Even small adjustments have a major impact: “You can now add a daily note at the top, like: ‘remember, the plumber is coming today.’ This way, everyone sees it instantly, and communication doesn’t get lost in a group chat.”
Recras makes your work easier
Although there isn’t always time to dive into every new feature immediately, the experience at the BrouwLokaal is that it’s always worth the investment. “Often, when the newsletter arrives, I think: ‘Oh, I want to try that out,’ but you simply don’t have the time. But you just have to commit to it, because it makes your work so much easier,” they say enthusiastically. Especially since Gulpener relies heavily on customization, the system provides the necessary speed and overview. “You can get much more work done in a single day and communicate more easily with colleagues about what was actually agreed with the visitor. It’s fast, it looks professional, and you become much more efficient.”
A unique guest experience
The strength of the system lies in the way different activities are cleverly integrated. Even though brewing beer in the microbrewery is a completely different process from a standard reservation, Recras ensures everything aligns. “The beauty of it is that all those elements overlap. For example, people coming to brew have often also reserved a table; that spot is then immediately and properly blocked,” they say with satisfaction. Despite this behind-the-scenes overlap, the guest experience remains unique. “They receive their own automated emails and a completely different quote than they would for a tour. That level of customization for each element is a huge factor within our company.” Everything is captured in one central overview, while maintaining specific customization.
Support that thinks with you
Contact with the Recras support department is rare, simply because the system runs so stably. But on the occasions that a question does arise, a solution follows quickly. “I always get an immediate response. Sometimes it’s just a checkbox you can’t find, or you think: ‘I’m sure I did this, why isn’t it working?’ You then receive a very patient and clear answer. Or they think along with you if you run into a specific challenge,” they explain. “Yes, we are extremely satisfied!”
Functionalities used
Online in 5 steps
- Enter products and packages
- Add starting times and material
- Link with our payment provider Mollie
- Create a workflow to follow up bookings
- Embed the booking module on your website